HTC HD7

Just yesterday a report was released that we reported on which essentially said that Android had better watch its back because Microsoft's Windows phone 7 was coming. It certainly is true that the release of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango may boost sales a bit, the report, created by research firm NPD's Connected Intelligence unit, should in no way indicate that interest in Google's mobile OS is about to wane. On the contrary, ladies and gentlemen, you've only to look at the details in the correct way to see that no other system, save Apple's iOS, has a chance at reaching Android anywhere in the foreseeable future.

Microsoft has confirmed that color banding and resolution issues HTC HD7 and HTC Trophy owners experienced after installing the recent Windows Phone 7 NoDo update was intentionally provoked, blaming HTC for stepping outside of the strict specification rules for the platform. According to a Microsoft support team member, HTC granted the two smartphones 32-bit color depth support, and NoDo switched that to the mandated 16-bit; in the process it triggered visual glitchiness and banding, a side-effect that Microsoft reckons users shouldn't actually see.

Microsoft may be having difficulty getting the NoDo update into the wild, but it seems there's nothing stopping it from leaking. A ROM for the HTC Schubert - aka the HTC HD7 - has hit the wilds of xda-developers, complete with the NoDo update (i.e. copy & paste functionality, among other tweaks) baked in.

Microsoft is pushing their new mobile Operating System as one that won't take all of your time, because you won't have to dig through screens, or other things to find what you're looking for. Simply access the home screen, and you'll find those Live Tiles, letting you know in a glance how many emails you have, missed calls, or text messages waiting for you. That way, with a glance, you can determine if you need to actually start using your phone right then and there, or if you can wait. However, it looks like if you have more than 15 of those Live Tiles positioned on your home screen, you will see an error more than something useful.

Oh man. Yesterday we learned about a new form of life, but Julian Assange of WikiLeaks wasn't satisfied. He wanted ALIENS. So what's he do today? He announces the next WikiLeaks cable to have UFOs in it. Wowie! Then we find out there's going to be some World of Warcraft on Android devices via GameString, a Professor in NYC installs a camera in the back of his head, and we review the super cute funny little device the Sony Ericsson LiveView - kawaii! Finally, Google pays someone $1 compensation in a Street View privacy case. Cash! All this and a whole lot more on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up!

The so-called death grip issue some HTC HD7 owners have complained about has prompted an official comment from the company, who basically reckon that any device can suffer from the way it's being held. "It is inevitable that a phone's signal strength will weaken a little when covered in its entirety by a user's palm or fingers," an HTC spokesperson told Computer Weekly.

If you are the proud owner of a new HTC HD7 Windows Phone 7 smartphone you will want to keep the thing shiny and looking new. What you need is a case that is as cool as the smartphone is. Speck has announced a new case for the HD7 that should be launching really soon called the PixelSkin HD.

While the "Death Grip" may not be the biggest bit of news floating around the Internet anymore, it's obviously still a real problem for companies out there. No one wants to be able to hold their phone in a certain way, and suddenly lose signal. But, it looks like the HTC HD7, which recently launched for T-Mobile USA (and we spent a week with, after reviewing it) is indeed suffering from the same situation as the iPhone 4, when it launched.

Not just ANY smartphone, of course, and there's a catch: Starting Black Friday, new and existing customers signing up for a T-Mobile FAMILY PLAN with a 2yr agreement and purchase any of several featured smartphones (including the T-Mobile myTouch 4G, or the Samsung Galaxy Tab) get a fatured smartphone or "affordable Android handset" for free! Sounds like a reasonable enough deal, yes? Totally family oriented. There's some sweet phones on that list, too, including a favorite of mine, the T-Mobile G2.